Apparatus for separating liquids from solids.



No. 703,846. Panama luly l, |902. Y

n. STEWART.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIIUIDS FROM SOLIDS.

(Application led May 27, 1901.)

'(Ho Model.) 3 Sheets- Sheet I.

YH: mams PETERS co. Pnoaumo.. WASHINGTON. D c,

N0. 703,346. Patented July l, |902.

D. STEWART.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIlUlDS FROM SOLIDS.

(Applcdbion led May 27, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

"TH: Noims frans om mmouwo.. WASHINGTON, n, c.

y No. 703,346. Patented July I, |902.

D. STEWART. Y

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIUIDS FROM SOLIDS. (Application filed May 27, 1901.) (No Model.) 3 lSheeim-'Sheef 3.-

,6. m@ [if E TH: cams racine on. wom-mwa.. w'AsrmsToN. n. c.

DUNCAN. STEWART, OF GLASGOl/V, SCOTLAND.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUIDS FROM SOLIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,846, dated Julyl, 1902. Application tiled May 27,1901.' Serial No. 62,124. (Noinodcl.)

To all wtont it ntcty concern,.-

Beit known that I, DUNCAN STEWART,a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London Road Iron Vorks, Glasgow, Scotland, have invented `certain new and useful Improvements Vin Apparatus for Separating Liquids fromSolids,` (for which I have applied for a patentinG'reat Britain, dated October 30, 1900, No. 19,362,) of which the following is a specification.

My said invention has for its object to improve the apparatus for separating liquids from solids,'my improvements being capable of wide application-such, for instance, as in the recovery of the cyanid solution of gold formed in the treatment of the slimes or tailings produced in the milling of certain goldbearing ores with a solution of cyanid of potassium, which has hitherto been a matter of' great diliiculty; in the recovery of the cyanid slimes, in the treatment of sewage-sludge to separate the liquid from the solids; and in order that my saidinvent-ion and the manner of performing thesame may be properly understood I shall describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is aplan, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation, of a portion of apparatus according to my invention, showing the receiving end and other parts. Figs. 3 and are respectively a plan and a longitudinal section of other portions of the apparatus, showing the delivery end and other parts, which may be of any desired length between this and the receiving end. Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sections of the machine drawn to a larger scale; and Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively a plan and an end elevation, on an enlarged scale, of partofthe chain and apron. In these drawingsthe same reference-letters are used to mark the'same or like parts wherever they are repeated.

In carryingout the invention the materials to be treated are delivered from an inclined chute A onto the upper surface of an endless apron orcarrier B, which may be of any desired length and consists, by preference, of layers of wire-gauze B', Figs. 7 and 8, secured at their edges to small brackets or arms C', formed on carrying-chains C, the brackets projecting some distance inward from the chains lcourse of their travel.

and the layers of wire-gauze being bound or fixed to the brackets by sewing, as shown at B2,or by any other suitable means of fixing. In some cases-as,.for example, when treating slimes or tailings-a layer of `cloth or other suitable permeable material BS is applied to the outer surface of the wire-gauze B, the cloth being securedat its edges by clips O2, hinged to the arms C of thechains C, the clips being `'provided with nipping or clamping screws O3,

so that they may be screwed down tightly on the cloth and so hold it firmly. onf the wiregauze. In order to prevent the materials from spreading laterally and falling over the edges of the apron B, flanges O4 are formed on the inner ends of the clips O2, so as to project some distance above the apron, and thereby form comparatively deep protecting sides. The intervening space between each pair of the clip-flanges is'fllled by. a leather tongue or cover piece or iiange D, formed with a bent,

flexible, or accommodating middle D', projecting outward through the space between the iianges O4, to which thev tongue-,piece D is Vfixed by rivets or otherwise. covering pieces are made as described, so as The filling or to allow the chains C to bend as required Vwhen passing around drums or pulleys in the course of their travel. around sprocket-pulleys C5 O6, fixed on shafts The chains C pass E3 E5, havingon'them carrying-drums E' E2,

arranged, respectively, at the receiving and delivery end of the apparatus, so that the apron B is thus stretched between the drums and passes around them, guide -pulleys G, Figs. 5 and 6, being provided at suitable distances apart for supporting the chains in the The shaft E3 of the drum E at the receiving end of the apparatus is carried in bearings Hmovab,leyin guides Il on the framing and provided with adjustingscrews H2, so that the bearings can be moved outward or inward to regulate the'tension of the apron B. The drum F.2 at the delivery end of the apparatus'is on a shaft E5, which is carried in fixed bearings J and has on ita spur-wheel E4, driven by a pinion K on a rials on its surface.

E E2 in a continuous manner. When it leaves the carrying-drum E at the receiving end of the apparatus, it passes over two (or it may be more) sets of suction-boxes L L2, which are open at the top and have bars Ls across them to support -the apron as it travels over the boxes. The boxes L L2 are connected by pipes L4 to suction-producing apparatus or vacuum-pumps L5 L6, worked from shafts L7 L8, driven by belts on pulleys L9. By this means all or most of the liquid in the materials under treatment is drawn through the permeable apron B, leaving the solid mate- Water-service pipes M are arranged over the suction-boxes L2, so that, if desired, the materials may be washed as they pass over these boxes. When goldbearing materials are treated, instead of water a weak solution of cyanid may be used, and rakes M may extend across over the surface of the apron B at this part, so as to stir up the materials on it, and thus insure that the gold solution is thoroughly washed out as the apron travels over the last set of suctionboxes. The liquid thus obtained from the materials when it contains valuable matters-as, for instance, the liquid from slimes or tailings which contains precious metals in solution-may be pumped into tanks N N2 through discharge or delivery pipes N3 NL and afterward treated by known means for the recovery of its valuable constituents. When the materials leave the suction-boxes L2, they pass over drying-boxes P, which are supplied with steamand are fixed across the framing and distributed along it to almost the end of the machine, so as to dry the solid matter on the apron B. Instead of boxes P steam-coils may be employed or drying may be effected by a hot-air blast or similar means. When the dried solid matter reaches the delivery-drum E2, it is removed from the apron B by means of a scraper Q, fixed across the back of the drum, and a revolving brush R, which is driven from the cross-shaft K through spurgearing E6 and brushes against the surface of the apron B, thereby thoroughly removing particles of matter that may still adhere to the apron. The dried material falls into a receptacle S and may be afterward conveyed away in wagons S for further treatment, if desired, the materials being conveniently discharged into the wagons through an opening S2 in the bottom of the receptacle provided with a shutter or door S3. When returning back to the receiving end of the apparatus, the surface of the apron B, from which the solid matters have been removed, is subjected to a beating, cleansing, andy drying process in the following way: Shortly after leaving the revolving brush -R the cleared surface of the apron passes over a comparatively long water-trough T, in which work revolving beaters U,fixed on shafts U', driven through belts and pulleys U2 and connected to each other by belts and pulleys U3. The beaters U are made of fiexible material, and as they rotate in the water-trough T they act on the apron B, so as to beat and wash it, and thereby thoroughly cleanse its surface. The cleansed portion of the apron after leaving the watertrough T is passed over steam drying-boxes (not shown) or equivalent drying appliances, so that its surface is thoroughly dried before it reaches the carrying-drum E and is thus thoroughly cleansed and prepared to act efficiently again in a continuous manner.

Having thus described the nature of this invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical effect, I claiml. Apparatus for separating liquids from solids comprising an endless apron or carrier consisting of chain-links having brackets to which wire-gauze is attached and permeable fabric held down on the gauze by suitable devices and arranged to travel around drums mounted at each end of a framing, vacuumboxes and vacuum-pumps,washing-pipes and rakes arranged over the vacuum-boxes,steam drying boxes or coils, a scraper and revolving brush and appliances for cleansing and washing the apron, all arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In apparatus of the character described, an apron consisting of chain-links having brackets to whichwire-gauze is attached and of permeable fabric held down on the gauze by flanged clips connected by bent-leather filling-pieces which with the clips form sides to the apron, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DUNCAN STEWART.

Vitnesses:

ROBERT HENDERSON, JOHN ANDERSON.

IOO 

